1479

1479 (MCDLXXIX) was a common year in the 15th century. The year is most notable for the end of the War of the Castilian Succession and the subsequent settlement between the Crown of Castile and the Crown of Portugal.

The central event of 1479 was the Treaty of Alcáçovas, also known as the Treaty of Alcaçovas. Signed to resolve the conflict between Castile and Portugal over succession to the Castilian throne, the agreement recognized Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon as rulers of Castile and Aragon, respectively. It defined spheres of influence in the Atlantic and restructured colonial rights: Castile retained sovereignty over the Canary Islands, while Portugal gained exclusive rights to the Azores, Madeira, and Cape Verde and the privilege to pursue distant Atlantic exploration. The treaty also helped to extinguish Joanna la Beltraneja’s claim to the Castilian throne and laid groundwork for a more formal division of newly discovered lands, a division later refined by the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494.

Beyond this, 1479 saw the broader European political landscape continuing its medieval-to-early modern transition, with dynastic alliances and conflicts shaping the era. The year’s legacy lies primarily in its Atlantic settlement, which influenced subsequent exploration and colonization patterns in Iberia’s imperial competition.